BILL ADDRESSES CITY HEALTH POOLS

Recently-filed federal legislation addresses a critical city-related problem with the 2010 Affordable Care Act, which mandates health insurance in most cases. H.R. 3072 by Ralph Hall (R-Rockwall) will permit health benefit pools to become “qualified entities” under the Act, and also would permit health benefit pools to serve a role under the exchange programs that will develop under the Act. Neither of these features is permitted under the Act as written. Simply put, without passage of legislation like H.R. 3072, it is possible that state league health pools and other city pools won’t have a role to serve under the Act as written (assuming the Act survives ongoing constitutional challenge).

Congressman Hall believes that he may soon be able to attach his bill as an amendment to payroll tax extension legislation that is currently pending. City officials concerned about the ability of city health pools to function under the new federal health care regime should urge their congressmen to “support the Hall amendment relating to health benefit pools.” A copy of the legislation is available at http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-112hr3072ih/pdf/BILLS-112hr3072ih.pdf.

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